About us

History

History

Yonetaro Otani, founder of Hotel New Otani

The history of Hotel New Otani began in 1962, when the Japanese government faced the daunting challenge of completing a massive construction effort to host an estimated 30,000 international visitors for the Tokyo Olympic Games in just two years. Yonetaro Otani, Hotel New Otani founder, agreed to build the finest hotel in the Orient on land he owned in Kioicho near the Imperial Palace, and thereby contribute to the national strategy for advancing Japan’s tourism industry.

Blue Sky Lounge was as popular as Tokyo Tower.

Selected as the primary venue for the G7 Summit in 1979 and provided
accommodation to participants

His design concept was to preserve the beautiful landscape and stone wall of an Edo era daimyo mansion, while providing world-class accommodation for more than 1,000 guests, large meeting spaces and a lobby, using then-state-of-the-art building techniques. The hotel opened in September 1964.

From the fan motif in the carpeting and walls in the Fuyo banquet room to images of cranes in the entrance lobby, the hotel’s traditional Japanese décor expresses Otani’s desire to create a timeless ambience. Of course, he believed that every guest should be able to view Mount Fuji – a symbol of beauty in Japan. His vision was realized in the design of the Blue Sky Lounge on the 17th floor. After a recent renovation, the lounge, now operating as VIEW & DINING THE Sky, rotates 360 degrees in 70 minutes, affording guests a spectacular, panoramic view through full-height windows as they dine.

In addition to its ideal location and premier facilities, Hotel New Otani has been widely acclaimed for the quality of its services and business operations, earning it the honor of being selected as the primary venue for all of the three previous Tokyo summit meetings. Heads of state and other VIPs from Japan and abroad frequently stay here, confident in the hotel’s enduring reputation as a premier international hotel.

After a major renovation, “The Main” reopened in 2007 as a “hybrid hotel” featuring higher seismic performance, reduced environmental impact and enhanced hospitality, incorporating a hotel-in-a-hotel Executive House ZEN on floors 11 and 12.

Now a well-established Japanese luxury hotel, we marked our 50th anniversary in 2014. We intend to continually meet the high expectations of our guests by constantly upgrading our facilities and services, building upon and enhancing our proud legacy and traditions.